A solid sequel that is darker and more complex than the first. Definitely a must-play.
Fans of the Sands of time and those new to the series will be pleased with this title.
Environment Puzzles
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There are a ton of environment puzzles just like in the first game and there's a good mix in the difficulty. One of the new game mechanics allows players to travel between the past and present. When traveling to the past players will encounter traps that were disabled / broken down in the present or the architecture of the environment will be changed.
Combat
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The new combat system is far more deep and it is a great improvement over the first game. There are more combos and attack moves the Prince can perform; they are animated well and very satisfying to pull off. The violence is turned up with enemy decapitations, and bodies being cut in half.
Story
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The Prince is now an arrogant and hardened character but I still found him to be likable. The story is more complex than Sands of Time but still very enjoyable; there are some brain twisting segments that remind me of Back to the Future 2. The Sand wraith section near the end of the game was particularly well crafted
Gameplay
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Although I prefer the linear style of the first and third game, Warrior Within's open ended world isn't overly confusing. Some backtracking is required but it isn't too severe. Fortunately there is an city map, which lacks much detail can be helpful.
Graphics and Music
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The graphics look stunning with beautiful architecture, lighting effects and an impressive level of detail. There are a some stand-out environments such as the garden with lush greenery and fountains, and the clocktower with huge swinging pendulums and gears.
The music is a mix of hard rock and middle eastern music. The eastern sounding tracks are great however the rock seems out of place at times but this doesn't really hurt the experience.